Overhead door construction



Sept. 14, 1943. A. v; ROWE 2,329,443

OVERHEAD DOOR CQNSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 19, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l A. v. ROWE 2,329,443

OVERHEAD DOOR CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 19, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept' Patented Sept. 14, 1943 I ,7 'aszam l ovnnnnnn noon ooNs'rIt ofr oN A lvin 1v. ra e, Ginsb rg, IlL, aerator-Ta Rowe 1 Manufacturing Company,

Infla on tlll n mutant manta 19,1941,'SerialNo.423;655 f 1 i ,sLola iii (c1.1so -'-2o9 .4

J: This invention relates: generally to overhead door constructions, and more particularly to those features of construction which facilitate" the guiding of a plurality of hln'gedly conne'cted door sections 'between'closed vertical position andopen overhead position. i l v -1 The'invention is particularly concer eel-with the provision of door guiding structural features which will enable installation in instances 'where a relatively. small space above the door opening istavailablel To enable installation where a relatively sm'all space is available i above the do'or opening, it is proposed to provide improvedgsimplified means 7 Jorf positively preventing the upper andlower a imarginsof :the doo'rfrom swingingfl'aw'ay from illustrated in my-recently issued Patents"2;264,6 i2 .p

and 2,264g643 relating overheadLdooifcoiistructions. 7 or a 7 '-The' foregoing andother objects and advantages will be more apparent rmmym following detailed descriptionwhenconsideredin connec-,

tion with the accompanying drawings, wherein;- Figure lfis a vertical sectionalviewtaken substantially along the line l'l of-Fig'u're 2, disclosing the present invention in association fwith a occupy averticalclosedposition; I

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view takenusubstantially along the line= 2 2 of Figure 1 l A T Figure 3 is'an enlarged; fragmentaryivertica plurality of hingdly connected door panels'wiii'ch sectional view similar to'lthei disclosure Lin 5 the .upper left hand corner of Figure 1130 more clear- 1y illustrate the structural detailsandlfu'n'ctional relationship of thefelements contemplated by the present invention; v-

Gal b p 1 1-, a c r? I view taken substantially along the line '5.-j-5: of Figure '3; to more clearly illustrate the cooperative relationship between double guide roller construc-tionrcarried by' theuppermost panel and the auxiliary curved guide track as contemplated by the present invention; and

Figure 6 is 'a fragmentary elevational view of the lower bracket and guide rollers .carriedthereby,as viewed along-the 1ine.r6r6-ofFigurezliti.

Referring now. to the. ;drawings more in detail wherein llike numerals-have been, employed to designate similar parts thrcmghout' the various figures, it will be seen-that, for purposes of illustration,. the invention:ocontemplatedshereby has been shown in operative association with a series of door sections designatedfby the letters A,;B, C and --D, respectively. These sectionsare hingedly connected (by identical hinge: mechanisms positioned along 'the outerzmarginsflof the sections and designated generally. by. the: numeral" l0. Inasmuch as the present invention; does not specifically-concern the. structural details of these 'hinges,-,it,,wil1 suffice ,td'say that" theseg hinges mediate guide rollers 1 I directedtothe fact that these intermediateguide not only serve to hingediyor pivotally3connect the p n ut a o, se ve. asia; support f risu rollers l2 hereinafter eferred to as the inter- P l i ula aat n is rollers are guided by and move within a guide tracl; arrangement comprising an upright, or vertical guideway portion I ,l 4, .a curved or intermediate jg'iiidej way, portion [6, and "anfov'er'he'adsubst'antially horizontal guidewayp'ortion l8.. L'Ihese intermediate Iguide rollers" l2 are free to move Within the, aforesaid :guideways 14 -46 was the door sections- A;:B- c- -Df shiftjbetween closed vertical position and open'overhe'ad position; y

In the vicinity of'the lower extremity 1dr the curved guid'ewa'y portion Miami the upperex- Figuredris a fragmentary vertical rsectional o view tak'ensubst'aritially alOng ithe-IineAP-J of Figure '3"-to more clearly disclose" the structural arrangement" of the curved auxiliary'i uideway 2 andelcments located intheljvicinity thereof; L Figure -5is an 'enlarged horizontal secticnal;

'trernity oi the vertical 'guideway --l I; I provide a switch mechanism designated generally by'the niimei 'aljll gfand-a similar switch mechanism v designatedgenerailyvbythe numeral22 is provided in thezfivicinity of :the .upperextremity oft; the curved guidewayl litand the forward extremityof the horizontalnguidewayj portion l,:8;, A deta led description-Tot; these; switch mechanisms; is not essential for aclear understanding of thepresent tinvention,'-and it will sufiice to say that these switch mechanisms correspondstructurallyjvvith those disclosed in my aforesaid recently issued structure of these;swififi hymchanismsl v20 and 22 will 1 be, referred to for ;a clear understanding" of the function thereof. The switch mechanism 22 The present invention particularly concerns the structural and functional anrangementqefthe elements referred to above in ..combination with a pair of lower roller-bracket devices designated generally by the numeral 28 and a pair of'upper roller-bracket devices designated generally by the numeral 30. The lower roller-'braoket-devices 'iii I are secured as by means of suitable-ftatstening means or bolts 32 (Figure 6) to the lower corner portions lof the flower K1001 section A, whereas eachnf the roller-.braclrettdevices it!) is secured-to the upper :panel in opposite lcorners thereof as by means of suitable fastening elements :or bolts 184 Fl'igureifi') devieeii consists of a hradmt member 36 and a pair .of "horizontally idispesed shafts Stand, whichzatoneeend supportro'tary follower members 42 and M, respectively. The roller :44 15 of conventionahdesi n nd a th do r sectionA moves withinrthe verticalguidewayrportion I 4 the ro11er= II -is guided aw-ithinisaidr section.

Extending axial-lyzbeyond roller :-M.;i .a iproiection l6 :which is-desig-nedato engage theswitch t-mechanism L20, inramannerlaterrto bezdescribed,

as :the :lower margin .of. thezdoorasection A sappreaches the :curvedguideyvayportion Hi. The ifOIIDWBI' mGmbeLOI roller 42 is. of special 'design, and is in Ithe form of audisc member whichds axially offset with-respect tothe roller-1M, a zillus- --tratedlin'il ?igure 6,so asto clear the-inside surfiace -ofthe:track=orlguidewayialit ThemesipheraLsur- *face of the iollower member 42 riisdesisned to en-gage a -flange: or lip 18 fonmed 'mtegral with an'd extending inwardlyirom a U -'shaped=portion 50 f the auxiliary curved track section 24 (Figure 5). The f-unctionalsignificanceofthe roller! and the "auxiliary curved track section N will more -'a:pparent =-from "the"descriptn which follows. 'The"roller-braeket device 8!! is "structurally similar to the roller-bracket Qajust described, in that it incorporates 'abracket ",riiiemjbler 32' which carries'a pair ofsha'fts'fl and-56 "The'sesshafts Stand 56 are secured .tpgetherrso asv'to prevent ing link 58 and in this connection it will be noted thatlthe previouslymentionedfshaits 18 a 40 are similarly connected by e, link .60;] {Theyouter extremities of theshaftsailzand support rotary follower members 1 2.1:espeotivQlynW Q correspond structurfill wi the rol ers Mm memberstfl;and fllpreviouslyidescrihei tflitwidand be'guided by the U sheped-poi tion wiofrthe auxiliary curved' -guideway Il and theiiroller -rlz is'designed for engagemenvwith uhe fienge or 'lip "18 as 'the -upper door section -"=D is shittod iitetween vertical and'h orizontal' position. lfhat isi to say, any tendency for the upper door-section to way 24 is averted by the engagement of the roller 62 with the flange 48.

Upward movement to the door sections A-B CD from the vertical closed position shown 5 in the drawings may be effected through the 'agency of spring-urged drums 68 or other suitable means positioned at each side and above the door sections, as clearly illustrated in the drawings. These drums 68 and their associated 10 coiled springs III are carried on a suitable shaft 12 supported at one extremity within a frame ll positioned above the gusset plate 26. A lifting i cable 55 extends around the periphery of the drum 68 and thence downwardly to a bracket .15 I6 itFisu es 8 and the doornsections ABC--D move upwardly'from their vertical closed position shown in .the drawings, the rollers 44 of the rollerbrackets .28 are guided within the upright or vertical guideway portions l4. Simultaneously the rollersof :the 'rmller hrwkat :30 impression: and :are uided :by the dummy marred-:traek, section cor suidewiayfld. Else sndmn nnwardr-shietimrof th door sectioasmuses -the'lnnmil D women- "ii-tendency to wine outrvmiluramd positively prevented by the easements! :the

ro s fiiewith beirmmnanion ztrmkl'flanse auxiliaryleuidewerifl directs thmumer more aein o thexioor section-abnormally and rearmamy l-M he r l r i moves into maeementmth a channel-like link or member 80 of hherswltch m c ism 1-1. ;As a resmt tmsehannei-nmber -80:is toreeddownwmzdl snd :thus momunlcation liorreonnectionsiszestablished between the ;.anxiliary isu dewer 4 and thehorizontal z iderseotion il.

The guide roller :64 continues t-reanwardly alone th h i ontal someway :ifl-until the door itsiuu composition. Aemtabie, :s rinseflmm "gto eontinueusly gorse :the switch link: at .raad :its

=0mpan. on1,link:memheril aupwardiyto-ithe-mb tion shown in 1 and, :3 :so that-when. jibe @euide -r0 ;1e 4 m ves inwardly hero. ml t e --e enne ke and its associated linkmember 1H, thes 'mem crs swine -mard r t th p sition shown'iniFim sii ands.

l st ishi between the r d suid w yjm tion 4,8, and Ithe rhonimntal .qsuidewev po tion it. s V

Th iint rmd eteztoll wer'rmemhers 01 33 988 the rcurred leuidewa momion altmmrtlmoe iinio the horizontal guideway "I. As the mibrp -b ket d vi es .23 :ennroech their respective switch mechanisms .M, {the prom ,ionims rlame axialmovement by vmeansafia connect; -c1ated with rolle ie isoacsmrawitohmm or :iinkrmemher maucesrishetlmkfl and -its eassooia-todichannel like 38 its) 5m! to th iz-rishtflflsi ie 1 and 132., Meeting the ate ie -644 nto theishannelrlike :iini: member tion of the auxiiiapywurmda mukm 8W portionttu. :fiiniflanhmzo theumn r mareimeiithe door section :1), weviwmzmmd. 51w m rmargin 'ofithe zdoorrsectionfmexpemencesmptend- W s encyitojswin'gzontwardly awayiiromitheiamiliary guidewayfll r-as theadoor msxappmmhstheir "completed-.opemovenhead;positionl flihfleiamna- :-vented,:how,ever,1by themnngomentidtmheimller members 42 with companiomflangesrflinfuthe swing 'outwardly'away f rom -the auxiliavy su qsxhe :roller -M clears member in s margin of said web.

-As the door sections experience reverse-movement, namely, from their open overhead position toward their closed vertical position, the rollers 42 and 62 again'serve'to prevent outward swing-- ingof the door section upon which .they: are mounted, and as each roller 44 of the door section A approaches its companion switch mechanism 20, said roller engages the channel-like link member 88, thereby establishing connection between the'anxiliary guideway 24. and the vertical guideway I4. Asthe roller 44 clears the channel-like link, member 88, communication or connection is again established between the vertical guideway l4 and the curved guideway portion I6, thus causing the intermediate guide rollers I! to be directed from the'curved guideway I6 into the vertical guideway I4. ciated with the roller 64 eventually moves into engagement with the upper surface of the link' member 84, thus causing the downward movement of thismember and its associated channellike link member 80. The roller is inthis manner directed from the horizontal guideway it along the channel-like link member 80 and thence within the auxiliary curved guideway 24.

Fronrthe foregoing it will, be apparent that my invention contemplates a very practical and simplified guideway and control arrangement for-: overhead door sections. 'operable roller-bracket devices cooperate to in- The novel and efficiently sure smooth door operation-and positively prevent any outward swinging of the upper or lower door section as they move along the upper curved auxiliary guideway. This precludes interference of the upper and lower door margins with the drum operating structure positioned immediately above the auxiliary guideway: In this manner the head room required for installation 'of the door construction is reduced to a minimum. a Particular attention is directed ,tothe novel 0011- struction of the auxiliary curved track or guide: way sections wherein all-shaped channel por:

tion is provided for the main guide roller and an intermediately positioned guide track or flange is provided for asecond or auxiliary roller. This construction eliminates the necessity of providing the conventional relatively wide curved guide track, as, for example, the conventional curved guide track section I employing an intermediate web and a pair of flanges projecting from each In fact, applicant's auxiliary curved guide track eliminates the necessity of using the conventional straight or flat flange extending from the web by employing a flange which extends outwardly from a Ushaped or channel-like track section. This is madexpossible by having the rollers of each roller-bracket shift along a path which is out of alignment with the path of movement of the other roller.

Obviously, modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims. The invention is hereby claimed as follows? 1. In combination with a plurality of hingedly connected door sections presenting a door structure, intermediate track follower members carried in the vicinityof the hinged portions of said sections, and guideways positioned at opposite sides of said door sections for accommodat:

ing said follower members, said guideways comprising upright, curved and horizontal sections, an auxiliary curved guideway for connection with and extending upwardly from said upright The projection 66 asso guideway,,a .pair of adjacently positioned fol-p lower memberscarried at the lower margin. of said door structure, and-adapted to be guided by r and engage opposite sides'of said auxiliaryguideway at least'one of said follower members being shiftable within ':the vertical guideway which guides; the intermediate follower rnenrbers, and meansoperable asvan incident to the-shifting of thejdoor sections for controlling the operative association of-said adjacently'positioned follower members with said auxiliary guideway. r

2. ,In combination with a plurality of hingedly connected door sections presenting a door struc ture,;intermediate track follower members carried in the vicinity of the hinged portions of said sections, and guideways positioned at opposite sides of said doorpsections for accommodating said follower members, said guideways comprising upright, curved and horizontal sections,-an' auxiliary curved guideway for connection with and extending forwardly and downwardly from said horizontal guideway, 21. pair of .adjacently positioned follower members carried at the upper margin of said door structure .and adapted to be guided :by and engage opposite sides of said auxiliary guideway, at least one of said follower. members being shiftable within the horizontal guideway which guides the intermediate follower members, and means operable as an in ciden t tojthe, shifting of the door sections for controlling the operative association of said ad;

jacently positioned follower members with said I a) curved guideway, a pair ofadjacentlypositioned follower members at the lower. marginyof the door structure and adapted to be guided by and engage oppositesides of said auxiliary guideway, a pair of adjacently positioned follower members carried at the upper margin of said doorstruc ture and adapted to be guided by and engage opposite sides of said auxiliary guideway, and

means operable as an incident to the shifting of the doorsections for controlling the'operative association of said pairs of adjacently positioned follower members with said auxiliary guideway.

4. In combination with a plurality of hingedly connected door sections presenting a door structure, intermediate track follower members carried in the vicinity of the hinged portions of said sections, and guideways positioned at oppo-- site sides of said door sections for accommodate ing said follower members, said guideways comprising upright, curved and horizontal sections, an auxiliary curved guideway of smaller curvature than and positioned outwardly from the first mentioned curved guideway section, apair of adjacently positioned follower members carried at at least one margin of said door structure and adapted to be guided by and engage opposite sides of said auxiliary guideway, one of said follower members being shiftable within the first mentioned upright guideway section which guides the intermediate follower members, and means operable as an incident to the shifting of the door sections for controllingthe op erative association of said adiacently positioned follower members with said auxiliary guideway.

5. In combination with a plurality of hingediy connected door sections. presenting a door struc ture, intermediate track follower members carried in the vicinity of the hinged portions of said sections, and g-uideways positioned at opposite adapted'to be guided by and engage opposite sides of said auxiliary guideway, one of said follower members being shii'table within the-first mentioned horizontal guideway section which guides the intermediate: .follower members, and means operable as an incident to the shifting of the door sections for controlling the operative association of said adjacently positioned follower members with said auxiliary 'guideway.

6:. In combination with a plurality of hinged 1y connected door sections presentinga door structure, intermediate track follower members carried, in the vicinity of the hinged portions of said sections, and g-uidewayspositionedat opposite sides of said door sections for accommodating said follower'members, said g-uideways comprising upright, curved and horizontal sections, an auxiliaryourved guideway of smaller curvature than they first mentioned curved guideway section, and positionedoutward'ly thereof, and a pair of adjacently positioned follower members carried along one of the margins of said door structure and" adapted to be guided by said auxiliary guideway, one of said follower members being positioned rearwardl-y and to one side of the. other follower member, whereby to clear said first mentioned curved guideway section and thereby enableboth of'saidadjacently positioned follower members to be received and said auxiliary guideway.

'Z'. In combinationwith a plurality of hingedly cameo-ted door sections-presenting a door strucguided by v -iliary guideway, one of said follower members I g I positioned rearwmrdly and: to one side 01 the other irollowe'rumember, whereby to clear first mentioned curved guidewa'y sectionand thereby enable both or said adiacently positioned follower membm to be received and guided by said/auxiliary fguidleway, and switch means for;

controllim the direction of said adjacent positioned follower members into association with said auxiliary guide way". g In combination with a plurality of hingedly connected door sections presenting a door strumi'mtermemate track follower members carried in the: of the hinged portions of saidssections; amrguideways positioned at oppo' site sides: of said door sections for accommodating said follower members, said guideways comprising upright, curved and horizontal sections, an auxiliary curved 'guideway of smaller curvature than the first mentioned curved guldeway section and positioned outwardly thereof, and a pair of adjacently positioned follower members carried along one of the margins of said door structure and adapted to be guided bysaid auxbeing positioned rearwardly and to one side of the" other follower member, whereby to clear said first mentioned curved guideway section and thereby enable both of said adjacently' positioned follower members to be received and guided by said auxiliary guideway, saifd auxiliary guldeway providing tread portions positioned side by side for accommodating said adjacently positioned follower members.

V ALVIN V. ROWE. 

